Breast cancer affects both men and women. However, breast cancer has been the most common cancer in the UK since 1997, but is rare in men. It is by far the most common cancer among women in the UK (2011), accounting for 30% of all new cases of cancer in females. In 2011, there were 50,285 new cases of breast cancer in the UK: 49,936 (99%) in women and 349 (less than 1%) in men. Female breast cancer incidence is strongly related to age, with the highest incidence rates found in older women. This supports a link with hormonal status. In the UK between 2009 and 2011, an average of 80% of breast cancer cases were diagnosed in women over 50. Indeed, around a quarter (24%) were diagnosed in women aged 75 and over. I therefore find it very frightening that many older women ignore the risks of contracting breast cancer and are ignorant of the symptoms of the disease, with the exception of finding a lump. Finding a lump may be the most common sympton of breast cancer, however, in many cases finding a lump will be one of the last symptoms to become obvious, especially if the tumour is seated deep in the breast tissue. This is important because the earlier the disease is treated,the more successful that treatment is likely to be.

Some of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer include:

1) a lump in the breast
A lump in the breast is the most common symptom of breast cancer. Most breast lumps are not cancerous. They are usually fluid-filled lumps,cysts or a fibroadenoma, which is made up of fibrous and glandular tissue. But it is important to get a lump checked by a doctor straight away. If a lump or other symptoms is caused by breast cancer, the earlier treatment is received the more successful it is likely to be.

2) a change in the size or shape of the breast
The warning signs of breast cancer are not the same for all women. One of the common signs are a change in the look or feel or size of the breast. Breast enlargement alone is not necessarily a sign of inflammatory breast cancer. I see a lot of women who are worried about a change in breast size, and inflammatory cancer is rare

3) dimpling of the skin or thickening in the breast tissue
You may become aware of dimpling or tethering of the skin of the breast during a self-exam. It is an important part of the self exam to look in the mirror and look for a dimple. The breast should be outwardly round—it should curve outward and not pull in. If you have had breast surgery before and you have some scars, you might find that the breast will pull in around a scar. Of course, this is a different situation. A dimple is a pulling in of the skin, and it may occur when you raise your arm or lean forward. When you lean forward and raise your arm, the breast should stay outwardly round; it should not pull back in. That may be a sign of cancer, and it should be checked.

4) inverted nipple, a nipple that’s turned in
Every body is different. Some people are born with inverted nipples. That is not a worry or unusual for them. However, if you notice a change in your breasts that result in development of an inverted nipple, so you were not born with one,and the nipple cannot be drawn out, this should be checked by a doctor. it may suggest a lump behind the nipple that is pulling it in.

5) a rash on the breast or the nipple
Although tumors are the most common symptom of breast cancer, they are certainly not the only symptom. Women with a rare form of the disease called inflammatory breast cancer can develop a red, pink, or purple rash across part of their breast. The skin of the breast might also appear puckered, like the skin of an orange. If you notice symptoms like these, have them checked out by a doctor right away. Inflammatory breast cancer can spread quickly.
6) discharge or bleeding from the nipple
Nipple discharge is a normal part of breast function during pregnancy or breast-feeding. It also may be associated with menstrual hormone changes. It appears spontaneously and involves a single duct. Although the bloody discharge may resolve on its own, this situation requires evaluation with an ultrasound of the area behind the nipple and areola. If the ultrasound shows a lesion, you may need a biopsy to confirm whether it is a papilloma or something more sinister. Although most often, nipple discharge stems from a benign condition. However, breast cancer is a possibility, especially if it is combined with one or more of the following: you have a lump in your breast, only one breast is affected, the discharge contains blood, yhe discharge is spontaneous or the discharge affects only a single duct.
7) swelling or a lump in the armpit
An armpit lump refers to the enlargement of at least one of the lymph nodes under your arm. Lymph nodes are small, oval-shaped glands that are located throughout the body and play an important role in the immune system. Most lumps are harmless and are usually the result of abnormal tissue growth. However, armpit lumps can be related to a more serious underlying health problem. Any unusual lumps should be evaluated by a doctor. Armpit lumps can occur in men and women of all ages. However, finding an armpit lump is most alarming for women because it may indicate breast cancer. Women should perform monthly breast exams and report any lumps to a doctor right away.Note that breasts undergo hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, and may tend to feel more tender or lumpy during this time. This is completely normal. For the most accurate results, perform breast self-exams about one week after your period starts.

The advice you must consider is this: whether man or woman, old or young, if you become aware of a change in the area of your breasts seek medical attention sooner rather than later. Time is valuable: time is life.

This article, Dealing with Cancer in the Workplace by Ryan McChrystal first appeared on Tuesday, 10 March 2015 in http://elitebusinessmagazine.co.uk/people/item/dealing-with-cancer-in-the-workplace

Serious illness – particularly cancer – can have a devastating impact on your employees and your business, therefore it is essential to have a plan in place that ensures the best way forward for all concerned

Cancer isn’t an easy thing to discuss. There is no shame in admitting that. However, with around 750,000 people of working age with some form of it in the UK – representing over a third of the 2 million people living with the condition – it is wise to think about your approach now before you, as an employer, have to deal with it. With people living longer and retiring later, the numbers of people in the workplace diagnosed are only going to increase. Cancer is just one – and certainly the most emotive – example of the serious illnesses that could impact on your employees, their attendance and productivity.

“The pressures put on an employee with cancer have a direct effect on their ability to manage or even recover,” says Elliott Hurst, director of health consulting at AXA PPP Healthcare, one of the biggest UK health insurance providers. The physical and emotional strain of a serious illness can be severe and, when you combine that with the potentially damaging financial impact, the result can be devastating. But that’s not to say a diagnosis automatically leads on to periods of absence.

“From an employer’s perspective, it is better to have your experienced and valued employees contributing to the workplace in some way, shape or form than not and with proper planning this can be achieved,” says Hurst. Therefore, an effective workplace policy should be in place to ensure you are best equipped to deal with cancer and other serious illnesses. As with all good policies, it is best to begin by amassing all the relevant information that’s available, including a full understanding of the law. As an employer, you are legally obliged to make workplace adjustments where appropriate, just as you would with any other disability. Access to Work is a specialist disability service delivered by Jobcentre Plus, which gives practical advice and support that may be able to help with the cost of making workplace adjustments.

“It is good to have a better understanding of the illness your employee is suffering from. Cancer, for example, is not a single disease with a single cause and a single type of treatment,” says Hurst. “Each cancer experience is different, but having a little knowledge can help you as an employer to better understand what the person is going through and how best to support them.”

A government white paper in 2011 suggested that employers need to do more about the health of their employees. Dr Gordon Wishart, a cancer surgeon and medical officer at HealthScreen UK has seen a major rise of employers offering cancer screening as part of their benefits packages. “Companies are engaging with us to explore early cancer detection for their employees, which in many ways is adding to the already existing employee benefits that are available through employers and in some cases that’s been completely sponsored by the company,” he says.

With most cancers, if you pick it up early it requires less treatment, which is a better outcome for employees and for the employers. “It means less time off work, and getting that employee back to their desk as soon as possible and back to being an efficient, productive member of the team,” says Dr Wishart. A screening by HealthScreen UK only costs around £100 and if it is paid for through a salary sacrifice, it becomes more tax efficient and an employee will only pay around £50-60, or about £5 per month.

Often a small business won’t think about the issue of cancer until it is raised by an employee, which can take managers and HR by surprise. Therefore they are often nervous and uncertain about what to say. Good quality conversations between employee and employer are essential to understand their requirements and plan for the best possible support.

“It is important for employers and managers have some kind of training or insight that allows them to understand how much a serious illness like cancer can really turn somebody’s life upside down,” says Dr Jill Miller, a research advisor at CIPD. “Have an awareness of the emotional and financial strain it puts on people and that how you respond and support employees has a huge impact on both their morale and on the rest of the workforce as they will see the organisation is a good place to work.”

There are a few things to bear in mind when having these conversations. “It is best for the manager, the employee and HR to get the expectations out at the beginning,” says Dr Miller. “It is important to talk about who the employee wants to know among the business and how they want other people to react. Do they want people to talk about it, or do they want them to act normal and talk to them as they always have done?”

Needs will differ from employee to employee and from cancer to cancer. Different cancers will have different paths and treatments will have different demands on people, so constant conversations with employees to get updates on their progress is essential to know what’s going on. “It’s important to think about what support and flexibility you can offer to help people stay in work,” advises Dr Miller.

Employers also need to understand that recovery is a process and that it takes time. Legally, they have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to support a return to work, which will depend on the circumstances, including practicality, cost and the extent to which an adjustment will be effective in alleviating any disability. Adjustments might include offering lighter duties or allowing extra breaks.

These days, many people are cured of cancer or are able to live with it for many years. Some people may have short or long-term side effects from the illness or its treatment. Therefore, they may continue to need support after their treatment ends. “Many people tell us that that work can help to restore a sense of ‘normality’ after a cancer diagnosis. Try to find out a little about the type of cancer your employee or the person they are caring for has and what the effects of treatment are likely to be,” recommends Hurst.

Work contributes to financial independence, provides a sense of purpose, creates structure in our lives and is a lifeline back to normality, wellbeing and recovery for those suffering. For Dr Miller, it is essential to make the transition back to work as easy as possible. “It is also important to think about employees caring for those with serious illnesses and how to respond to employees who are supporting a family member or close friend who has had a cancer diagnosis.”

There is comprehensive legislation in place to support a successful return to work. Together, the Equality Act 2010 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 provide protection from discrimination. Everyone with cancer is classed as disabled from the point of diagnosis for the rest of their life, and their employer or a prospective employer must not treat them less favourably for any reason relating to their cancer. All areas of employment are covered including recruitment, promotion, training, pay and benefits.

Coming back to work can be very difficult for a patient. A recent study by Macmillan, the cancer charity, showed that 57% of survivors who were in work when diagnosed had to give up their job or change roles due to their illness. This means the total loss in productivity of survivors unable to return to paid work in England was estimated, in 2008, to be as high as £5.3bn. You must be prepared for such a possibility because small businesses often rely on teams that, while few in number, are high in skills and experience, so the impact can be particularly devastating.

If an employee comes back to work, which is often the case, there are a number of steps that can be taking to make things easier. This includes implementing a standard, phased return to work plan. You should also provide regular catch-ups to check all is working well.

More than anything, a clear policy is key to coping with cancer in the workplace. But it’s important to remember that with the devastating effects of serious illness on employees, there are no quick fixes.

It is calculated that, currently, one in three people in the UK will get cancer of one type in their lifetime. Cancer charity Macmillan estimate this will rise to one in two by the year 2020.

New methods used by Cancer Research UK to calculate these figures, however, suggest that the 50 percent level of cancer incidence may already be upon us. A recent survey conducted by Cancer Research UK also revealed that cancer is now the UKs number one fear, ahead of being in debt, old age, being the victim of knife crime, car accidents, having a heart attack or losing a job or home.

This, of course, is not good news for anyone – but some employers may still be wondering what this has to do with them. The fact is, whether employers choose to take action or not, cancer is going to have a serious impact on them, their workforce, and their business. The NHS has identified that around 13,000 men and women die every year from work-related cancer – but the impact is not limited to areas of work that specifically put workers at higher risk. Of the 325,000 people diagnosed with cancer each year, over 100,000 are of working age, and estimates suggest that over 750,000 people of working age are now living with a diagnosis.

Alongside this, we need to consider the friends, spouses and families of employees. One does not have to be personally diagnosed with cancer to be hit by its effects; having to care for a loved one under these trying circumstances – not to mention the psychological impact of a cancer diagnosis – can also mean increased downtime among employees who are otherwise healthy.

Little wonder then that the Department of Health is asking employers for help to fight the massive cancer burden. On the positive side, there is a lot that employers can achieve, if they choose to act. The key is cancer screening and awareness in the workplace.

About Check4Cancer

Check4Cancer Ltd. (previously known as International HealthScreen Technologies Ltd) started its existence in Cambridge in 2006 when the two founders Prof Gordon Wishart and Troels Jordansen met. The first BreastHealth UK clinic started at Spire Cambridge Lea in April 2008.

Today Check4Cancer offers 6 innovative different services for early detection of cancer. The services are:

Above 6 services cover 90% of all new cancer incidence in the UK every year.

The services are supervised by a Board of Clinical Advisors; please click here for more details. All advisors are nationally renown experts within each cancer area.

Throughout a network of over 80 clinics across the United Kingdom private individuals and companies can access these services. 2 of the life saving services (BowelCheck and GynaeCheck) requires no clinic but are based on home sampling.

Besides services for early detection of cancer Check4Cancer also operates the largest independent network of genetic counsellors and test. GeneHealth UK offers several cancer genetic tests ranging from gold standard BRCA 1&2 tests to innovative cancer panels. Pre-conception testing is being introduced during 2015.

With around 1 out of 2 Britons getting cancer over their lifetime cancer is a very serious issue for individuals and companies. On this background Check4Cancer is proud to be working with some of the leading companies to offer affordable services for early detection of cancer and cancer awareness services. Please click here for a list of such companies.

Check4Cancer is working according to ISO9000 and ISO270000, regulated by CQC, complies with the requirements of the Cyber Essential Scheme, registered with ICO is very proud to have 93% of our clients rating us ‘Very Good’ to ‘Excellent’.

After completion of my chemotherapy and just as my radiotherapy started I required to start taking letrozole: just one 2.5mg tablet per day. A 2.5mg tablet each day for 5 years. This is because my breast cancer wasa type that needs the hormone oestrogen to grow. In women who have been through the menopause, the main source of oestrogen is through the change of sex hormones called androgens into oestrogen. An enzyme called ‘aromatase’ is needed for this change to occur. Letrozole works by inhibiting (or blocking) this enzyme. This reduces the amount of oestrogen in your body, which slows the growth of the cancer cells, should they recur. It is my fervent hope that they will not.

I am ashamed to say that I never read the information given with medication, although I know I should. The manufacturer’s leaflet will give more information about letrozole and a full list of the side effects which may be experienced from taking it. I have to take other tablets daily as well. So I take one 2.5 mg tablet of letrozole each morning with my other medication, although you may take letrozole at whatever time of day you find easiest to remember, but try to take your doses at the same time each day. This will helps to avoid missing any doses. You can take the tablets before or after your meals. If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not remember until the following day, skip the missed dose. Do not take two doses together to make up for a forgotten dose. I suppose one tablet out of 5 years will not make much difference.

However, along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side effects although not everyone experiences them. If you have read other articles in this blog, you will realise, that my primary mind set is always that these things cannot happen to me. Of course, sometimes they can and they do. That is just life. Also, because I do not read the manufacturers leaflets, I did not know the side effects to expect. However, Letrozole has a raft of side effects and I seem to have been blessed with most of them. The common side effects are as follows:

1) Hot flushes and sweating: yes, I get this one! I thought it was my time of life, but no, I owe this joy to Letrozole so I try to keep cool by wearing light, airy clothes or in winter, I wear layers, so I can take them off as required.
2) Headache, muscle or joint pain: oh wow! I have this one in spades. You can ask your doctor or pharmacist to recommend a suitable painkiller but I do not like to take any more tablets than I have to, so I try to manage the pain with rest, hot water bottles or ignoring it before I give in to the painkillers. The dull ache of the joint and pain is a persistent, nagging pain that drains the drive and strength out of me. It is inescapable.
3) Feeling tired, weak or dizzy: Oh, you guessed, I find this side effect really, really debilitating. I simply cannot do all that I did before I got ill. Some days I cannot get up, some days I have to take a nap, sometimes I just cannot move. I get so indescribably weary and tired. I get cross with myself and irritated but it does not explain this side effect to say that I get tired. The tiredness makes me bone weary. My limbs feel heavy, my concentration is affected. My eyes cannot stay open. At other times I cannot sleep at night, so that makes me tired too. I do not drive or use tools or machines until I feel fit enough to do that.
4) Feeling or being sick, indigestion, abdominal pain: Hurrah! I do not get this one! I stick to simple meals, generally avoid rich or spicy foods and I am very careful about my diet.
5) Constipation: I occasionally suffer from this one but I try to eat a well-balanced diet and drink several glasses of water each day.I also drink copious amounts of tea, mostly English Breakfast tea, sometimes Earl Grey.
6) Diarrhoea: Nope, I do not get this one: if you do, remember to drink plenty of water to replace the lost fluids.
7) Appetite changes, weight changes, feeling depressed, hair loss, skin rash, swollen legs or feet, vaginal bleeding: I am blessed with some of these, the most immediately obvious is that my hair has become very thin. Sometimes I wear a hat because my head gets cold, my hairdresser is a magician and always makes me look and feel like a million dollars. The other one of these side effects that I have to cope with is depression. I have suffered from depression for many years any way and now it is reasonably well controlled. It is just difficult having another potential source of that mental health problem.
8) High blood levels of cholesterol or high blood pressure. I do not suffer from either of these. I am lucky in that my blood pressure sits fairly low anyway and my doctor also arranges for me to regular have tests to check that these side effects are not rearing their ugly heads.

As I suffer with so many side effects of Letrozole, I have been offered the opportunity to change to another tablet. However, I have declined to do so. I know what the side effects of Letrozole are and I can cope with them, more importantly my long suffering husband knows what they are and he can also cope with them. So for the remainder of the 5 year period, I will cope and I will be grateful that I am being successfully treated for breast cancer. I am a lucky woman.

My body has endured surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As a result of this I have lost my hair and my energy. Still, that tumour the size of a baked bean is perceived as a threat. Its return must be further discouraged. My oncologist therefore insists on mammograms every six months and prescribes Letrozole. I must take one 2.5mg tablet each day for 5 years.

Breast cancer is often discussed as a general condition, but there are several different types that require different treatments. One way to distinguish breast cancer cells is through your genes. When you are diagnosed with breast cancer, your doctor will test the cancerous cells to determine their genetic makeup. My tumour had more of the HER2 protein in it than it should have had. HER2 is a protein that stimulates the growth of breast cancer cells. It can be found in your blood and urine. Sometimes it is referred to as a tumour marker. Tumor markers like HER2 cannot be used for cancer diagnosis, but they can provide other important information and the presence of HER2 helps the doctor predict how likely the breast cancer is to respond to treatment.

It is estimated that about 20 percent of breast cancers are HER2-positive. Younger women are more likely to be HER2-positive than older women. HER2-positive breast cancer tends to be more aggressive and to spread more quickly than other cancers. That is why it is important to find out if the cancer cells in your body contain this protein. If your breast cancer is HER2-positive, you have a much better chance of successful treatment with methods that target the HER2 protein specifically. Results show that those who tested positive for HER2 at an early stage of the condition (with tumours 1 centimeter or smaller) had a higher risk of recurrence. Researchers have also found that HER2-positive patients had a 77.1 percent five-year survival rate, with no recurrence. However, they also are
around five times more likely to suffer recurrence than those who were HER-2 negative and have close to three times the risk of recurrence of those who tested negative for HER2. So I am absolutely sure I want to discourage recurrence.

Tumours that are HER2-positive are more often associated with factors that increase recurrence rates. For example, HER2 tumours are more likely to occur in younger women and have higher nuclear grade. Generally, the higher the nuclear grade, the more aggressive the tumour. HER2 tumours are also more likely to show positive margins during breast surgery. Positive margins occur when cancer cells extend beyond the edge of tissue that is removed. HER2 tumours also have a higher likelihood of residual disease being found when additional tissue is removed. Up to 70 percent of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer respond to treatment. However, total remission for the condition occurs only in around 7 to 8 percent of patients. Targeted treatments (medicines that target the HER2 protein, like the Herceptin I was treated with) have improved the prognosis for HER2-positive patients. Remissions can also be lengthy, offering another bright spot in prognosis and reports show that remission can last more than 15 years for some patients.

I was diagnosed HER2-positive and this brings special challenges in my recovery from breast cancer. The HER2 protein can make the breast cancer more aggressive. It can also make it harder to treat with hormone treatments used for other types of breast cancer. However, drugs like trastuzumab (Herceptin) target HER2 directly and effectively. This drug, when used in combination with other drugs, shows some very promising results for improving prognosis and survival rates for patients with HER2 cancer. However, there is a small but real risk of heart damage and possible lung damage. Scientists are still studying how long women should take Herceptin for the greatest benefit. I am not ashamed to tell you that I hope their studies are successfully concluded soonest. I have a vested interest in this, as my tumour was HER-2 positive.

All in all, having made the decision to stay alive long enough to thoroughly embarrass my children, when the oncologist tells me that I must take one 2.5mg tablet of Letrozole each day for the next five years, I will do just that. Letrozole has side effects but I have decided that whatever they are, they have to be better than allowing the tumour to return.

The Spare Room is a novel about caring for a friend with cancer by Australian writer Helen Garner. She is an Australian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist who was born in Geelong, Australia on 7, November 1942. She is a graduate of the University of Melbourne. Garner’s first novel, Monkey Grip, was published in 1977, and immediately established her as an original voice on the Australian literary scene. The Spare Room is a story set over the course of three weeks while the narrator, Helen, cares for a friend dying of bowel cancer. The cancer sufferer can be very stubborn and selfish. It is a form of self-preservation. This story reflects this. The book was published in 2008.

I am a cancer survivor. I have written about my journey in https://survivingbreastcancernow.wordpress.com/. When I chose this book from the local library, I did not realise the topic it covered. I was not sure that I would be able to cope with it. However, The Spare Room is a magical gem of a book. It is gripping, moving, and unexpectedly funny. The book packs a huge punch, charting a friendship as it is tested by the threat of death.

The book made me think about how those who love had suffered when they were caring for me and watching my treatment and recovery. How much of they gave up to help me in my time of need. Likewise in this book, Helen has little idea what lies ahead and the strength she will need to muster when she offers her spare room to an old friend, Nicola. Helen arrives in plenty of time to pick Nicola up from the airport, but she wasn’t expecting to see her friend look so sick, so sick that she could hardly walk. Of course Nicola insists it was just the flight that has taken its toll on her and that she’ll be fine once she has a rest. Nicola has arrived in the city for cancer treatment. She is skeptical of the medical establishment, and placing all her faith in an alternative health center. Nicola will be attending The Theodore Institute where she she will undergo extensive alternative treatment for her cancer. She is convinced that after three weeks of this alternative treatment she will be cured of her cancer. The alternative treatment is high doses of vitamin C. Nicola is determined to find her own way to deal with her illness, regardless of the advice Helen offers.

Nicola explains to Helen how the treatment works and as far as Helen is concerned it is a load of rubbish. Helen knows that there is no miracle cure for the final stages of terminal cancer, but Nicola refuses to be convinced. However, after only a few treatments of vitamin C, Nicola starts to feel very sick and is in a lot of pain. In the weeks that follow, Nicola’s battle for survival will turn not only her own life upside down but also those of everyone around her.

She wakes during the night to sopping wet bedding from sweating and chronic pain. Each night Helen helps her change thehelen garner bedding and tries to comfort her, but her patience are wearing thin knowing this treatment will not work. As Nicola continues with the treatment, Helen becomes increasingly angry, frustrated and exhausted. She cannot seem to make Nicola see that this treatment is not only expensive, but is a waste of time. She only wants what is best for her friend:that is to make sure the time she has left is as pain free as possible.

Helen Garner’s book was a relatively quick read, but it definitely was not an easy read at times. A heartbreaking and powerful read about care, friendship and dying. The Spare Room is a book well worth reading.